To do this work, the most important thing is to ask why.
Why did this happen? Why is it important? Why do they care? Why will others care? Why?
Often the basics of journalism, or storytelling in general, lead people to start with the who, the what, the when, the where, the how. But first, start with the why.
And then work backwards.
When did this first happen? What caused it to happen? Who has been impacted? Who made it so? How did it come to be?
And one of my favorite questions that I now keep taped next to my desk: What are the systems that happened here? To this person? This place? This time?
Journalism is about getting to the roots of a story. Whether that’s the racial or economic historical underpinnings impacting the narrative now or whether it’s a person’s origin story of how they came to be.
Once you identify the why, then move on to the who.
Not just the name, the age, the race, the gender of the person, but also the color of their eyes, the way they smile, the sound of their voice, the little mannerisms that make them who they are. Convey those in the story. It’s what brings them to life.
Remember this.
Journalism is just storytelling with a purpose. And that purpose is to evoke empathy in the reader, to help them understand this vast world a little better, to create windows into the human experience.
You’ve met this person and heard their story. Now let others do the same.
It is an honor to be able to hear their stories, to be a vessel that holds them until pen and paper — or these days, keyboard and processor — deliver them to others.
Do not forget this.
Storytelling is power and privilege. And it is with great responsibility and humility that you should embark on this work. Do not let yourself become the center of the story. You are just the conduit.
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